The federal Liberals have undermined their highest environmental priority, the carbon tax, because they simply cannot afford to lose their Atlantic base.
For three decades, voters in the Maritimes and in Newfoundland and Labrador have mostly stood by the Liberal Party. One important exception came in 1996, when prime minister Jean Chrétien’s government tightened eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance – a vital social program for the region’s seasonal economy. Atlantic voters hammered the Liberals in the following election, costing them 20 seats.
